Meet Michael Greene, President of Greene Moving and Storage

I met Patrick Greene through my membership at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. I asked Patrick to talk about his business Greene Moving and Storage and he referred me to his Dad, Michael Greene, who founded the company. I was expecting to hear that there is a big volume of people moving out of Connecticut, but according to Michael that is not the case.

Timothy Becker: Michael, how did you get started in the moving business?

Michael Greene: I had been a facility manager for ADP in East Hartford. I coordinated builds and moves for the company. There wasn't anyone that was able to offer the service of moving and setting up work stations. I had to hire two different companies to get the job done. I saw a need and became a single source vendor for workstations. I started the business out of the basement of my house and I soon moved to a business location on Loomis Street in Manchester. In 1994, we moved to a portion of the old Case Brothers building on Glen Road. Two weeks ago we moved to larger headquarters at 185 Adams St. This is the old Mustangs Unlimited building that has 34,000 square feet of offices and warehouse. We have added a packaging materials store and we will be offering used office furniture for sale at very good prices. In addition to being open during the week, once a month we plan to open our store on weekends.

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Timothy Becker: Do you primarily handle commercial office moves?

Michael Greene: Our business used to be 90 percent commercial. Since Patrick joined us, he has grown the residential business to the point that it is reaching 50 percent of our business. We provide local and long-distance moving services. We sell boxes and packing materials at our new store or we will pack for our clients before they move. If there is a delay with a closing, we can store household items in a dust-free vault in our warehouse.

Timothy Becker: Have delayed closings become common lately?

Michael Greene: Issues with closings have become a problem. It is worse now than I have ever seen it. Banks are scrutinizing every document more than ever. Often we need to reschedule moves. The delay can take several days.

Timothy Becker: Are movers regulated by the state of Connecticut?

Michael Greene: Residential movers need to be licensed by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. There are many unlicensed movers out there. If an unlicensed mover is hurt on your property, you are responsible. To get a movers license, a background check is required. You need to apply for a tariff, which is the fee you are allowed to charge. The Department of Transportation does monitor your business to make sure that you are charging the proper tariff. We are members of the American Moving and Storage Association, a non-profit professional organization which is dedicated to protecting consumers.

Timothy Becker: Have you seen any trends lately, like many people moving out of Connecticut?

Michael Greene: A few years ago there were a lot of companies downsizing, but I don't see that now. Residential moves are about even with people moving in and out. In business we are seeing filing cabinets vanish and law libraries are now just for aesthetics since everything is online. The trend is for virtual offices as more people work from home. Employers I have talked to find that their workers are more productive working form home. Another trend is recycling and fuel savings. We recycle everything we can, including the used furniture we remove. It saves our clients fuel and landfill charges. We also have put 10 minute idle governors on our trucks to save fuel.

Timothy Becker: Do you have advice for people considering hiring a residential mover?

Michael Greene: When you look for a mover, you should check with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Better Business Bureau and Angie's list.